Gentleman, Athlete, Scholar

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This spring semester at WSU I had the opportunity to engage with the process of creating video and conducting an interview. This process includes creating an idea, capturing footage, uploading it to a device, and then editing all of those contents, and finally publishing the product onto the internet. From my experience in cheerleading, I am very familiar with what it means to be the talent and be in front of the camera, so it was really interesting to take the time to learn about all the nuances that happen behind the scenes. We captured video in the Cleveland Studio 59 and edited the contents in the adjacent computer lab. This experience taught me how much preparation is required to produce quality materials. When I was the one being interviewed things became a little difficult when I was asked to read questions from the teleprompter and suddenly create well-spoken sound bites. Because I hadn’t seen the questions beforehand I didn’t confidently project my image into the camera and mumbled an answer across. It took an evening of reviewing the interview questions to prepare responses and a second trip to the studio in order to create the quality video that we needed. I made sure to apply this knowledge of preparation to my interviewee and delivered my questions well in advance. This advanced notice may or may not have worked because I still had to sort through a lot of umms and pauses in order to get a quality statement. I learned that you almost have to write your question in order to frame the answer that you are looking for and convince the actor to organically produce a quality sound bite. My biggest regret is having only recorded from the front and neglecting to capture B- roll, I used photo montage/presentation style to keep it interesting and to make the image seem less stagnant.

On Friday March 31, 2017 the Sport Management Department at Washington State University hosted a Career Exploration Fair. I was able to attend the first three sessions but wasn’t able to attend the later sessions or the dinner because I was busy helping facilitate the WSU Spirit Squad tryout for the 17-18 season. At the Career Fair, I attended a seminar about practicum experiences, team operations, and college compliance. The fair started at noon, upstairs in Cleveland 255 where I normally have class. Pizza was provided and that drew a very large crowd into the classroom. The panel was comprised of practicum experts from organisations like Seafair and the Seahawks street team. Their biggest tip was to be a hardworking servant during your time as a practicum student and to be knowledgeable about the nuances in your industry. I walked to the education addition where the “main hub” of the event was and got myself a nametag and a seat in a discussion about team operations. I was excited to ask questions and I got to hear from a previous student-athlete that had made the cross over into managing a collegiate team. Because I am graduating soon and transitioning to a different role in the organisation I asked Gordy Anderson for any tips. His suggestion was to remain extremely patient and vigilant, making sure to hold your tongue at times and to essentially be a fly on the wall. The last session took place in the same room so I just moved seats and waited for the exchange of presentors. I had thought that compliance would have more to do with behaviour regulations and following the rules, but the speakers explained how their role is more like a counsellor for incoming students and help student athletes with the requirements and credentials in order to play. Going to the Career Fair was a positive experience because it was very structured and well organised, I even got to use my time to collect extra credit points for a few of my classes!

In order to cover some of the operational costs for “The Long Drive”, a charitable golf skills challenge, our management team created a go fund me donation page to collect contributions. With the goal of generating a $1,000 donation to the Community Action Center, we hope to help fund an expansion project which will result in community education. The CAC is planning on building a kitchen classroom which will teach people how to use the less commonly used food pantry items. Our fundraising event is a 3 pronged golf skills challenge consisting of a long drive challenge, an obstacle, and a classic hole in one putt. The purpose of the event is to generate a donation but the event itself will carry some overhead. These costs will be covered through corporate sponsorships as well as individual donations. Use the link above to visit The Long Drive Go Fund Me Page.

In the 1989 movie “Field Of Dreams” farmer Ray Kinsella hears strange voices while walking through his corn fields, these voices whisper to him “If you build it they will come“. These voices helped convince Ray to build a baseball diamond in his corn fields and to pursue his dreams despite the risks. The phrase suggests that when an administration provides quality facilities and appropriate programs there is always an audience that will arrive to consume the product.

We have seen this phenomenon in action in Pullman through the erection the Cougar Football Operations Building in 2014, this was shortly followed by a rise in the success of the football team and the first back to back bowl games in program history (Sun Bowl 16′ – Holiday Bowl 17′) . While the Football Operations Building is a fantastic facility, it is meant only for football players and staff. The remainder of the student population is offered resources through the Cougar Union Building (CUB) but will soon be able to take advantage of resources in The New Chinook Building.

Built in the same location as the Old Bookie, the New Chinook Building provides a space for all students to study, eat, sleep, and work out. Based on data from the Student Recreation Center (SRC) and the CUB, the Chinook should look forward to hosting around 4,000 people in a single day. Carmen Jaramillo, a journalist from The Daily Evergreen, reported that:

“The first floor of the center features a Freshens and a cafe with Starbucks coffee. There is a lounge area similar to the CUB Lair and a quiet lounge with an indoor deck overlooking the north side of campus.

There is a reservable event space with access to the deck that is a little bit smaller than the CUB Junior Ballroom. Elbracht said there was a need for an event space of this size around campus.

The ground floor has eight study rooms which can be used on a first-come, first-served basis. A napping room will feature about ten napping pods and lounge chairs. There are two insulated music practice rooms, and two meditation rooms with feet-washing stations for religious rituals.”

Although the timeline is a little off schedule and the completion of the construction has been delayed, major improvements to the campus experience like this help make Pullman a better place to live. When students have access to the facilities they need, they become more content with their experience and then more willing to reccomend the university experience to a newcomer. This reference is relevant to a sport manager because the student population is a major market that could potentially consume your events. The better you can understand the customers needs the better you can provide benefit to them.

The Community Action Center in Pullman is committed to helping those in need and opens its doors to the public twice during the week to provide financial and nutritional support. As a 501c3 the CAC has been able to share its services with over 14,000 residents of Whitman County since 1988. In addition to working alongside the local food bank, the CAC can provide financial assistance to families that are unable to keep up with the high costs of living. The Energy and Heating Assistance Program is one of many services provided, but in my opinion, the most valuable of these services is an upcoming series of cooking classes. The CAC has been developing a new kitchen which will be used as a classroom to educate the community on the variability of meals you can create while using the food bank pantry. I made a visit down to the food bank earlier this week and learned that some of the overstocked products like lentils can be very nutritious, but the community isn’t necessarily aware of how to prepare them. Cooking classes like this can teach those who need to stretch their finances how to put together a fulfilling dinner on a low budget. While I was at the center, I also learned about the sponsors of the food bank and which organisations are responsible for helping to fill the shelves. The CAC grows its own hydroponic lettuce on site and also has a small community garden out in front but that limited supply is certainly not enough to provide for everyone that is in need. Luckily the local Safeway has become a major contributor to their bread-room and also makes donations of perishables such as raw meats and fruit. In order to access the services of the community action center, you simply go down to the center, take a card from an attendant at the front desk, and patiently wait for your turn to access the pantry. While the center doesn’t necessarily restrict you on how many groceries you are allowed to take with you, they do ask that you only take what you need and that you limit your visits to a single time during the month. I know a few students at Washington State University who could have taken advantage of this resource near the end of the semester if only they were aware.

The capstone course for the sport management degree (SpMgt489) asks students to host a sporting event which will raise funds for a particular beneficiary. Our team has decided to create a golf event called “The Long Drive” where participants use a driving range to see who can drive a ball the furthest. In addition to the long drive competition, the event will also facilitate raffles and other opportunities to receive small prizes. If the schedules are not in conflict we are hoping to invite the student-athletes on the WSU golf team to attend and help create a competitive environment. With the money collected from our golf event, our team of cougars will donate 100% of the proceeds to the Community Action Center helping to create a helpful space for people who are in need.